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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886577">How Could You?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarlingEmmaLou/pseuds/DarlingEmmaLou'>DarlingEmmaLou</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Draco and Harry are so in love, Ginny Weasley Bashing, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mentioned Ginny Weasley, Mentioned Ron Weasley, Mentioned Vernon Dursley, even when they're fighting, it's adorable, nothing too graphic though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:14:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarlingEmmaLou/pseuds/DarlingEmmaLou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco receives a letter from someone he and his boyfriend, Harry Potter, aren't fond of. The letter implies some pretty horrific things, how will Draco react?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How Could You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I actually wrote this in response to a prompt in my English class, it's not super sad I promise.</p><p>Prompt I was given: I was happy. My girlfriend was sad. I was curious. She became annoyed. I was confused. She became angry. I became angry. She became terrifying. I was scared. I am content now.</p><p>As always comments and kudos are always appreciated💜</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The halls were quiet at night, most students were afraid to wander around Hogwarts at night because of the enveloping darkness and strange sounds that seemed to permeate the castle. Harry had become accustomed to them after years of aimlessly walking after waking from nightmares, that now the, “creepy atmosphere,” in Ron’s words, Didn’t bother him at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he turned a corner Harry heard the sound of muffled sobbing, creeping closer to the source he first noticed a mop of pale blond hair above shaking shoulders. It was Draco.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry and Draco had been carefully hiding their relationship from everyone around them. Only their closest friends knew the passionate duels full of flying insults and hurtling spells Harry and Draco were so well known for, hid nights of sneaking into the other’s common room and romantic words whispered in small hall closets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry quickly reached Draco, setting a hand timidly on his shoulder. Draco wasn’t known to cry over much, so whatever this was had to be important. “Love? What happened? Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco whipped around to face him, tear-stained face becoming more irritated by the second. “Potter,” he growled out, “Like you don’t know.” Harry was concerned, Draco hadn’t called him Potter when they were alone in months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t?” Harry paused, “Are you going to explain to me?” he looked down at Draco’s clenched fists, and saw a letter crumbled in them. “Does it have something to do with this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco scoffed, “‘Does it have something to do with this,’” he mocked Harry’s question before exploding, shaking off Harry’s hands in the process, “OF COURSE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS!” He visibly calmed himself before continuing, “I received this, wonderful, letter from Ginevra Weasly. She goes into detail about her relationship with you, and how you starting flirting with you yesterday before SNOGGING HER OUTSIDE OF THE CHARMS CLASSROOM!” By the end of Draco’s rant, tears had begun to run down his cheeks again. He was panting, staring at Harry as if he was planning his murder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t notice that however as he processed Draco’s words. Draco thought he was cheating on him? He believed the words of a girl who had a celebrity crush on him? This is the person Draco believed over him? How dare he.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I cheated on you with the girl who has a history of trying to seduce me?” Harry stared at Draco incredulously. “You believe the words of that, that harpy over me? Your boyfriend? How could you!” Tears leaked from Harry’s eyes, unnoticed by him as continued to desperately search Draco’s face to see if this was some sort of sick prank.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco’s face seemed to get even angrier, if that was possible, “HOW COULD I! How could I not? You hated me for years before we got together! You used to fancy her for Merlin’s sake!” Draco raised his arms in the air again, as if reaching for some invisible rope to pull him out of this situation. Or maybe some sort of belt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry froze as his mind flashed back to all the time his uncle would raise his arms like Draco was now, the same angry expression etched on his face. His uncle swung his arms down, the belt whistling through the air as it sped closer, and closer, and-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry realized he had raised his arms over his head as well, but in a defensive position. One he was extremely familiar with. Draco’s angry expression had frozen before he seemed to realize what happened, his mistake. All his tension seemed to bleed out of him as he slowly moved his hands tentatively towards Harry’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry shuddered as Draco slowly touched him, leaving time for Harry to pull away if necessary. “I’m sorry,” Draco began, moving steadily closer to enveloping Harry in his arms, “I didn’t realize.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry pressed his face into Draco’s warm chest and breathed out. “It’s okay, I get it.” He slowly breathed in, enveloping himself in his boyfriend’s scent. “I would have been suspicious too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but I shouldn’t-” Draco cut himself off, instead just wrapping his arms tighter around Harry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Harry smiled, looking up at Draco, “put it behind us and move on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco’s worried expression practically melted as he gazed back, “Yea,” he sighed, “Yes, let’s move on.”</span>
</p>
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